William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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Paternal Family Tree: Shirley
On 5th June 1864 Walter Shirley 11th Earl Ferrers was born to [his father] Walter Waddington Shirley (age 35) at Christ Church College, Oxford University.
On 20th November 1866 [his father] Walter Waddington Shirley (age 38) died.
Around 1876 Walter Shirley 11th Earl Ferrers (age 11) educated at Winchester College, Winchester.
Around 1880 Walter Shirley 11th Earl Ferrers (age 15) educated at New College, Oxford University.
On 8th July 1890 Walter Shirley 11th Earl Ferrers (age 26) and Mary Jane Moon Countess Ferrers were married.
On 25th November 1891 [his daughter] Margery Joan Shirley was born to Walter Shirley 11th Earl Ferrers (age 27) and [his wife] Mary Jane Moon Countess Ferrers. She married 22nd September 1920 Lancelot Sackville Fletcher.
On 30th December 1892 [his daughter] Elizabeth Mary Shirley was born to Walter Shirley 11th Earl Ferrers (age 28) and [his wife] Mary Jane Moon Countess Ferrers. She died aged less than one years old.
On 9th November 1893 [his daughter] Elizabeth Mary Shirley died.
On 7th July 1894 [his son] Robert Shirley 12th Earl Ferrers was born to Walter Shirley 11th Earl Ferrers (age 30) and [his wife] Mary Jane Moon Countess Ferrers.
On 4th November 1896 [his daughter] Phillida Shirley was born to Walter Shirley 11th Earl Ferrers (age 32) and [his wife] Mary Jane Moon Countess Ferrers.
On 29th December 1900 [his son] Andrew Shirley was born to Walter Shirley 11th Earl Ferrers (age 36) and [his wife] Mary Jane Moon Countess Ferrers.
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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On 26th July 1912 Sewallis Edward Shirley 10th Earl Ferrers (age 65) died. On His fourth cousin Walter (age 48) succeeded 11th Earl Ferrers, 17th Baronet Shirley of Staunton Harold in Leicestershire. [his wife] Mary Jane Moon Countess Ferrers by marriage Countess Ferrers.
On 22nd September 1920 [his son-in-law] Lancelot Sackville Fletcher and [his daughter] Margery Joan Shirley (age 28) were married. She the daughter of Walter Shirley 11th Earl Ferrers (age 56) and [his wife] Mary Jane Moon Countess Ferrers.
On 2nd February 1937 Walter Shirley 11th Earl Ferrers (age 72) died. His son Robert (age 42) succeeded 12th Earl Ferrers, 18th Baronet Shirley of Staunton Harold in Leicestershire.
On 10th January 1944 [his former wife] Mary Jane Moon Countess Ferrers died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 25 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 22 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 28 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 23 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 26 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 24 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 21 Grand Son of Louis VII King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 25 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 29 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Shirley 1st Earl Ferrers
10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Laurence Shirley
11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Washington Baroness Ferrers Chartley
Great x 2 Grandfather: Walter Shirley
12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Walter Clarges 1st Baronet
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Clarges
Great x 1 Grandfather: Walter Shirley
13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Molesworth 1st Viscount Molesworth
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Phillips of Dublin
Great x 2 Grandmother: Henrietta Maria Phillips
GrandFather: Bishop Walter Augustus Shirley
14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Newenham
Great x 1 Grandmother: Alicia Newenham
Father: Walter Waddington Shirley
15 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Walter Shirley 11th Earl Ferrers
16 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England